DO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO ARE ALSO ELS TAKE THE ACCESS FOR ELLS ASSESSMENT? Students with disabilities who are also English learners must receive services in both areas: language services as well as disability related services; neither service supersedes the other. A parent can decide to opt his/her child out of EL services but not out of the ACCESS for ELLs assessment. The student takes the ACCESS for ELLs assessment annually; any accommodations must be allowable under the ACCESS for ELLs assessment and written into the IEP or 504 Plan of the student. Students with cognitive disabilities who also take the NMAPA assessment can take the Alternate ACCESS assessment, if this is specified in the student’s IEP. An IEP team for an EL student with a disability should include a second language acquisition specialist in order to ensure that all the needs of the student are being met. For further information please see the ELs in Special Education FAQ on our website in the link below. http://ped.state.nm.us/ped/Bilingual_EL_FAQ.html There is also great information on ELs with disabilities in the English Learner Tool Kit (by USDE) in the link below, specifically chapter 6. http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oela/english-learner-toolkit/chap6.pdf You can also find further information on serving ELs in our Serving English Learners Technical Assistance Manual in the link below: http://ped.state.nm.us/ped/BilingualDocs/Serving_ELs_TA_Manual_2016.pdf